# animate! › Films › Emperor by Elizabeth Hobbs › synopses

Canonical: https://animate.org.uk/films/emperor/synopses

Discovery terms: 2000s animation, watercolour animation, rostrum camera, napoleon, death, history, comedy, filmmaker, animator

The following is the archived page text; discovery terms above are separately sourced metadata.

Archive status: restored in 2026; historical calls, deadlines and services are closed.

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**Emperor** a film by Elizabeth Hobbs

2001, 4 min 20 sec

### animate! synopsis

Comic colour capers as we learn the tabloid tale of Bonaparte and his not so bony part. A sensual wash from Waterloo to auctioneers as his pickled portion goes under the hammer. History was never this persuasive. History was never this.

### short synopsis

**The Emperor** is a watercolour animation about Napoleon Bonaparte. It is a tale of courage and war, heartbreak, death and pickled private parts.

### long synopsis

**The Emperor** is a watercolour animation about Napoleon Bonaparte’s last moments on the island of St. Helena. Captain Lepissoir, a brave soldier who fought with the emperor’s grand army at the battle of Waterloo, sets out from Paris to rescue Bonaparte from exile.

After a three month journe he arrives at Longwood House on the remote island just as the emperor expires. He is heartbroken and sets of home narrowly missing the spectacle of his great hero’s private parts being snipped off during the post mortem.

The tale finishes in the present day with the pickled penis being sold at a Christies Auction for one thousand pounds.

**Emperor** film, stills and other materials © Elizabeth Hobbs 2001
